Parenti, Michael. Democracy for the Few. 9th ed., Wadsworth, 2011.

Ameerah Jameer

Q1

Ideology serves as a tool for people to understand the world of politics, define their own political stances, and construct personal identities. However, the ruling class exploits this idea to safeguard its own interests by using repressive apparatuses and ideological apparatuses. For example, schools are an ideological apparatus where students are taught to obey authority, which is represented by teachers. If they violate authority, they will be punished, and the punishment is usually carried out by a repressive apparatus. In general, the ruling classrepresents this authority, using media, religion, and other ideological apparatuses to discipline people and thereby maintain their power.

Q2

Conservatives consider Liberty to be the most importance and believe that the government poses a threat to liberty when the government has too much power. For example, Conservatives believe that only Free Market can generate a better economy and greater opportunities, and that a free market requires the government to avoid excessive involvement. 

Liberal ideology considers Equality to be the most importance and believes that only the government could bring Equality for everyone. For example, Liberal ideology believes the market must be regulated by the government to protect consumers.

Q3

Althusser believes ideology as a tool used by the ruling class to maintain its interests. He also believes that ideology does not win people over oppression but rather trains a person to accept the ideology through the behavior of others. For example, in schools, students are taught to follow teachers’ instructions, raise their hands before speaking, and observe other norms. This is the school preparing students in advance to get used to obeying many other authorities in the future 

1. Ideology is a collection of fundamental beliefs and values that influences a person’s concept of the function of government, society, and individual rights. it filters people’s interpretation of political issues and shapes their policy preferences.
   For instance, one could be very pro-freeedom and anti-government healthcare, or very pro-equality and pro-government healthcare. The same issue and different conclusion due to different ideologies.
   On another level, ideology is not merely the personal opinion of the individual. It may be influenced by our surroundings, our culture, our education, and our social status. This is why whole group of individuals often have similar political perspectives, though they do not always make this decision on a conscious level.

2.

The concepts of liberty versus equality are the key dividing concepts Conservatives value individual liberty, which is the concept that people should be free from government intervention to make their own decisions and keep the fruits of their labor. To them, a smaller government translates to greater freedom.
Liberals value equality that is a belief that government should minimize inequalities between rich and poor and provide equal access to opportunities. This makes them more inclined to approve measures such as increased taxes on the rich and social spending.
Healthcare is a good example as conservatives want to rely on the market, liberals are proponents of government intervention to cover people of all income levels.

3. 
   Althusser maintained that ideology is not merely the product of people’s consciousness, but is rather a system which makes people accept the social order as natural and normal, even if it does not serve their interest. It works in institutions such as schools, churches, media (Ideological State Apparatuses).
   A real world illustration: when working class people reject policies which would advance their economic interests, they have internalised values being taught by the dominant institutions – ideology at work for Althusser. It is not telling lies on people, it’s moulding what is “common sense”.

1. Ideology is a set of beliefs, values, and outlook that people use to dissect the world around them. It influences how we perceive societal issues, the economy, politics and right from wrong. There are many factors that effect someone’s ideology; parents, education, religion, social media, and friends. When it comes to ideology in politics, it is how individuals makes political decisions and choices based on their own experience.
   Using myself as an example, growing up my parents were both independent voters, meaning that they did not support the democratic or republican party. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, I surrounded myself with people who leaned left and were liberal in their beliefs, I also consumed media that leaned heavily left, so I became liberal. When returning back to in-person school, I made friends who were conservative, and slowly I became conservative leaning. Joining the church further solidified this, as conservative values are centered around religion. This is a perfect example of how people, media and religion can affect your political ideology.
   Understanding ideology is important because it allows us to understand each others pasts, and how that has affected their outlook on life. Michael Parenti states that dominant ideologies shape how people view politics and society, depending on what side you lean, some people may believe that anything is possible for anyone and that we are equal, or that some people have it harder than others and they should be given a helping hand because of it. Ideology affects what we believe is possible.
2. There are many difference between conservative and liberal ideologies when it comes to government. Liberals value equality for all. The government should play an active role in promoting their value of equality, this means regulating big businesses, protecting civil rights and creating programs to help people who need it. They believe that to achieve equality that some people need extra leverage to achieve it. Whereas, conservatives believe that the field is leveled, and acknowledging that people are at a disadvantage hurts rather than helps. Conservatives value a smaller government as they would have more freedom, their key value.
   An example that depicts both ideologies is DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion). DEI programs are supported by liberals as they believe that there is still racial factors that attribute to someone success, DEI when it comes to applying to college means holistic admissions, meaning that aside from your grades, admissions must factor in your personal background such as; income and personal hardships. Liberals believe that this allows an equal playing field that makes it fair to everyone. Conservatives do not support DEI as they believe DEI prioritize personal background over achievements, meaning that if two students were both equally qualified, the one who has more adversity would be picked, even though they have achieved similar goals.
3. Althusser’s definition for ideology was more than political position, but an individual’s outlook on the world. People do not chose their own ideology, but rather ideology is created through their lived experience like family, education, religion and social media. These influence individuals to have certain values and beliefs. Althusser believes that ideology is most effective when people do not realize they are being influenced, as allowing individuals to fit into different societal groups allows them to fit their role. An example of this would be school. Similar to the video, school is a place for learning but it is also where students learn obedience and authority, making them a place not only for educating the youth about basic knowledge but also on their ideology. Althusser’s definition focuses on the many rather than the few, leaning into how everyday life effects the tides of an ideology battle.

So, we’ve encountered three different overviews of what ideology is, but let’s organize our own thinking about it. In this discussion board, think about and comment on the following questions:

1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in your own words.
Hint: One way to approach this is as follows
a) Describe what ideology is in a brief paragraph (in your own words).
b) Give an example illustrating what you wrote in (a).
c) Write another paragraph (or two), explaining to your reader with additional details, how you understand ideology.

2. How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics? What seem to be the big differences, the dividing line? Given an example to backup your arguments.
Hint: try to identify key words (concepts) that play a big role in making someone consider themselves to be liberal or conservative. Then, explain in your own words what those keywords (concepts) mean.

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. Hint: you may have to watch the second video again, and find the few places where Althusser’s position is presented.

Hint: Remember, the discussion boards are crucial for us this semester, because they reproduce our in-class conversations. Try to be thorough and write more, rather than less. I will do the same, and make sure by the time we end our discussion, we have covered the key ideas on the module.

To organize things better, I have broken up our conversation into two parts. After finishing here, head over to Discussion Board 3 – part 2 .

Before posting, watch this video, which will show you how to post your answer to this discussion board:

NOTE: Once you’ve scheduled your post to be published on at midnight on Sunday, you can still go back and edit your post until then, if you want to rewrite and/or add to your post.

As a review, follow the following steps to submit your response:

1. Click on the “+” button in the black bar at the top of the screen
2. Type a title for the post (it should include your full name)
3. Type your response
4. On the right side, click on Categories: and check “Discussion 3.1”
5. Important: On the right side, at the top: click on the date next to Publish, and enter your post date, which is this coming Sunday, at 11:59pm.
6. Click Publish and you’re done.

What will happen next is your post will automatically be published by the OpenLab system on Sunday at midnight. The goal here is for all student posts to be published at the same deadline. After that point, you can begin reading each others’ posts, and you have to comment on at least one other student’s post.

Note: please make sure that you schedule your post to be published on Sunday, midnight, not before.

Ideology is your opinion on something based of of many factors like upbringing ,a social status and morality 

B conservative ideology believe that the government needs to have limited power compared to the liberal where they believe government should pay a bigger role in society to help needy people. 

C ideology is important for making important decisions in politics because it helps people connect in what they believe in for example many conservatives are religious.religion alone is very important for some people but because it plays a huge role in conservatives belief a person that grew up religious is more likely to pick a right sided position than someone that was raised in a atheist household 

2.the main difference between conservative and liberals is their morals.for example conservatives are very much for themselves because most conservatives have a belief that they are good without hand outs and that they work harder than the lower class. Liberals are more worried about everything and everyone around them.Liberals care about the environment and lower income individuals. 

3.He explained that ideology is set to help the elite people is society stay in control socially of lower class people.at the time people believe in divine rights which was the belief that whatever class you were born in is where you belong.

Reply

1. . a) What is ideology (in your own words):
   Ideology is a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape how people understand the world around them—especially things like power, justice, identity, and how society should be organized. These ideas often feel “natural” or “common sense,” even though they are created by people and influenced by history, culture, and politics. Ideology is powerful because it influences not just what we think, but what we don’t question.

b) Example:
A clear example of ideology is the belief in the American Dream—the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work, no matter their background. While it promotes values like ambition and perseverance, it also hides systemic barriers like racism, poverty, or unequal access to education. People who struggle are often blamed for their own circumstances, rather than the system being questioned.

c) How I understand ideology more deeply:
I understand ideology as something that works quietly in the background, shaping how we see the world without us even realizing it. It helps keep certain power structures in place by making them seem normal or inevitable. For example, if we believe that the justice system is always fair and unbiased, we might ignore evidence of racial bias or wrongful convictions. That belief—however untrue—is part of an ideology that protects the legitimacy of the legal system.

Ideology also helps explain why people sometimes support policies or leaders that actually go against their own best interests. Through media, education, and culture, people are often taught to see things through a lens that benefits those in power. So, ideology isn’t just about what we believe—it’s about how our beliefs are shaped, who benefits from them, and what truths they might be hiding.

2. The main difference between conservative and liberal ideology in U.S. politics lies in how each side views the role of government, social change, and individual freedoms. One key dividing line is how much influence the government should have in people’s lives and in shaping society.

Conservatives tend to favor limited government, traditional values, and individual responsibility. They often believe that the government should not interfere too much in the economy or in people’s personal lives. For example, conservatives may oppose higher taxes and large government programs like universal healthcare, arguing that individuals should take care of their own needs and that private businesses do a better job than the government.

On the other hand, liberals generally support government intervention to promote equality, social justice, and progressive change. They believe the government has a responsibility to help people who are disadvantaged or marginalized, and to correct unfair systems. For example, liberals are more likely to support programs like student loan forgiveness or raising the minimum wage, believing these efforts help reduce inequality.

Some key words and concepts:

• “Freedom” is important to both ideologies but means different things. For conservatives, it often means freedom from government interference. For liberals, it can mean freedom through government support, such as access to healthcare or education.
• “Equality” for conservatives often means equal opportunity (everyone has the same starting point), while for liberals it can mean equal outcome (helping people reach a more equal result).
• “Tradition” is more valued by conservatives, while “change” or “progress” is often embraced by liberals.

Example: A debate over same-sex marriage clearly shows this divide. Conservatives might oppose it based on traditional religious beliefs about marriage, while liberals support it as a matter of civil rights and equality.

3. Althusser defines ideology as a system of ideas and beliefs that shape how people see and understand the world—even if those ideas aren’t true. In my own words, Althusser is saying that ideology is like a lens we wear without realizing it. It teaches us how to think, act, and understand our place in society, often in a way that benefits those in power.

What makes Althusser’s view unique is that he believes ideology doesn’t just reflect the world—it creates it for us. It makes people believe their position in society is natural or normal, even when it’s unfair. We’re “trained” by institutions like schools, the media, religion, and even families to accept certain roles and behaviors.

Example: A good example is the belief in the “American Dream.” Many people are taught that if you work hard, you’ll succeed. But this ignores how things like racism, poverty, and class inequality can hold people back. This belief system helps justify inequality by making it seem like people who are poor just didn’t try hard enough—when in reality, the system is not equal.